As we upgrade the Eastern Freeway from Hoddle Street to Springvale Road, we’re delivering more than 18 kilometres of new and upgraded paths, bridges and underpasses to make it safer and easier to walk or cycle in Melbourne’s east.

From Hoddle Street to Burke Road we’ll fix missing links, build a new walking and cycling bridge over the Yarra River, upgrade steep and narrow sections of the Main Yarra Trail and install new crossings under Yarra Boulevard, Chandler Highway, Belford Road and Burke Road to give people more trip choices and better access to inner city parklands, paths and trails.

These improvements will work together with Koonung Creek Trail upgrades from Burke Road to Springvale Road, including new bridges and underpasses, so you can walk or ride a bicycle from one end of the Eastern Freeway to the other without stopping at a single set of lights.

Hoddle Street to Burke Road upgrades

Better access and more trip choices

A new bridge over the Yarra River and 4.7 kilometres of new and upgraded paths will better connect the Main Yarra Trail in Fairfield with the Koonung Creek Trail in Balwyn North and make it quicker and easier to walk or ride a bike to inner city parks and trails.

1. 2.9 kilometres of new walking and cycling paths will link the Main Yarra Trail at Yarra Bend Park in Fairfield with the Main Yarra Trail near Chandler Highway in Kew. This will give people a shorter, and more direct alternative than the Main Yarra Trail along Yarra Boulevard.
2. A new crossing at Yarra Bend Road will give pedestrians and bicycle riders using the new path right of way.
3. Separate paths for pedestrians and bicycle riders will be built for the popular walking area at Fairlea Reserve, including for the River Circuit Trail.
4. A new bridge over the Yarra River will connect Fairfield and Kew and fix a missing link in Melbourne’s walking and cycling network.
5. Connections under Yarra Boulevard and Chandler Highway will avoid hills and busy road crossings.
6. New paths will connect the Main Yarra Trail to existing bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths at Chandler Highway.
7. 1.8 kilometres of upgrades to the Main Yarra Trail where it runs next to the freeway today will widen the trail from two metres to three metres, upgrade safety barriers, improve surfaces and build new sections to bypass steep hills and short-cut winding routes.
8. A new crossing under Belford Road bridge will give people the option to bypass the steep hill on the existing Main Yarra Trail.
9. A new walking and cycling path will provide a more direct connection under Burke Road through to the Koonung Creek Trail and give people the option to short-cut the winding route around Burke Road Billabong.
10. Lighting upgrades for the Willsmere Park underpass will improve connections to the upgraded Main Yarra Trail.
11. New railings will make using Belford Road bridge safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Fixing a missing link

The new bridge over the Yarra River and 2.9 kilometres of new paths from Fairfield to Kew fix a missing link in Melbourne’s Strategic Cycling Corridor network.

The corridors connect important destinations with safe, low stress cycling routes and were developed by the Department of Transport and Planning in consultation with local councils, Bicycle Network and RACV.

We're working closely with Parks Victoria to design the route for the new path at Yarra Bend Park. This includes upgrading existing unsealed tracks to keep open space and existing trees and plants where possible.

Designing the new Yarra River bridge

The new Yarra River bridge will be a spacious and safe four-metre-wide crossing for pedestrians and bicycle riders, with a platform area at the entry to Yarra Bend Park to stop and enjoy views over the park and river.

The design for the bridge has been inspired by the surrounding natural landscape. The shape of the piers represents trees in the local area and the colours are inspired by the landscape within Yarra Bend Park.

The weight of the bridge has been reduced from an earlier design so that it can be craned into place from the existing freeway bridge. This will help minimise the amount of work needed on the riverbank. The piers for the bridge have also been moved to a better location higher up the sides of the riverbank to avoid disturbing river flows.

While some work will still be required under the bridge, we’ll be working to minimise this where we can and planting new trees and plants to restore and enhance the area.

contact@bigbuild.vic.gov.au

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